The Book_ of ree The Mage Storytellers Guide @ By Phil Brucato, Brian Campbell, Richard Dansky, Deena McKinney, Kathleen Ryan andEthan Skemp. ID. WeeCredits Written byt Phil Brucato, Brion *Technoeeacy” Campbell Richad*Nephandi Dansky, Deena*Anatomy”" McKinney, Kathleen “Marauder Ryan and Ethan “Spr its” Skemp ‘Aaiitional Material by: James Estes Locking Eagle, Ross Isacs, Laursh Norton, Wayne Peacock and John Robey Developer: Phil Brucato Editors Ken Clife and Ronni Radner ‘An Dizectors Lawrence Snell ZN; Layout and Typesetting: Aileen E. Miles Art: Jason Felix, Richard Kane Ferguson, Michael Gaydos, Mark Jackson, Robert MacNeil, Heather J. MeKinney, Alex Sheikman, Ron Spencer Front Cover Art: Jason Felix 735 PARK NORTH BLYD. SUITE 128 ‘ATLANTA, CA 30021 184 Wy Lv Gant STEDlO © 1997 White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without the vritten permission of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and blank character sheets, w may be reproduced for personal use only. White Wolf, ‘Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages and Mage the Ascension are registered trademarks of White ‘Wolf Publishing, Ine. ll rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wait the Oblivion, Changeling the Dream ing, Werewolf the Wild West, Akashic Brotherhood, ‘Ascension’sRight Hand, Axis Mundi the Book of Sprit, Beyond the Baricrs the Book of Worlds, Book of the Wyrm, Celestial Chorus, Cult of Eestasy, Destiny's Price, Digital Web, Dreamspeakers, Ethanaton Fs Halls ofthe Arcanum, Hidden Lore, Horitonthe Strong. ak Legion, The Book of Mitrors: The Mage Storytellers Gutde OS Dedications To Aaron Allston, whose Strike Force, Nina Hero and Lands of Mystery set new standards for gamemasters every- where; Tothe VCUGamesmasters'82-85,andtoGrey Becker, Bill and John Bridges, Bob Busch, Chris Gibbin, Doug Lemmon, Shadow Lied, Judith McLaughlin, Libbi Miler, Johnand Laure Robey, Jennifer Staring Shirley, Lee Warts, Greg Wilkenson and Ehrik Winters, for showing Fhil how —and how nor —torun RPG To the Hard Rock Cabal (Darrell Autrey, Deena McKinney, Keith Martin, Stewart MacWilliam, Wayne Peacock and "Susan Pradha’), for putting their pastime up for display; Tothe Maicon gang (Basel, Christian, Isabelle, Jean Marc, Louise, Marc-Andre, Yaks, the Martins and all the rest), for being wonderful hosts; ‘To Sam Chupp, forthe title of this book, To Mage players and Storytellers everywhere, and to Stevan, Steve, Andrew and Bill Ani, yeah, tothe old LakeGeneva crowd forsetting the whole mess in motion to begin with hold of Hope, Loom of Fate, Love Beyond Death, Mage Chronicles 1, Mage Screen First Edition, Mage Terot, Order of Hermes, Sons of Ether, Technoczacy Iteration X, Technocracy NWO, Technocracy Progenitors, Tech nocracy Syndicate, Technocracy Void Engineers, The Book of Chantries, The Book of Crafts, The Book of Madness, The Book of Mirrors, The Book of Shadows, ‘The Chaos Factor, The Fragile Path, Vampire Players Guide, Verbena, Virtual Adeprs, Werewolf Players Guide and Worldof Darkness Outcass are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, placesand text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc. ‘The mention of or reference wo any company or productin these pages isnora challengeto the trademark ‘or copyright concerned. This book uses the supernatural for settings, charac ters and themes. All mystical and supernatural elements are ction andintendedforentertainment purposescnly, Reader discretion is advised, Check out White Wolf online at etps www. white-wolt-com: alt gameswhitewolf and rec.gamesfrp-storyteller PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERI| SEDC The Book of “TDWORS LON “2 WIS ZZ Contents Prelude 4 Introduction: Smoke and Mirrors 8 Chapter One: Anatomy of a Chronicle 12 Chapter Two: The Storyteller’s Corner 42 Chapter Three: Behind the Scenes of the Ascension War 62 Chapter Four: Supporting Cast 102 Chapter Five: Alternate Chronicle Settings 124 Observations from the Field 140 Contents 3RAY botinioraram: hese hersccepae ee Amandafiowns. Angry, disappointed, aching, hunted, decessbafchaypedepecth anh bendy ethe Steel Horse on Shangri L& is h only hope. He meets her eyes, and his cragey forchead sofens. “Look, now. Sormy about that.” He throws axcoaster down in fone of her and reaches for beer tap. “Have one only contacts con me. [hate to senda customer away unhappy.” She drinks, and the pale brew stings her cracked, dry lips and bums in her empey scomach. Amanda sets the heavy glass mug down, staring blankly into its depths. As the aleathol hits her, she feels her back and ehoulders relax, andalitdle ofthe paingoes away. Aftera longtime, hereyes focusayain, and she sees the warped and blury colors of the 4 The Bookof Mirtors The Mage Storytellers Guide By Kathleen Ryan coaster through the half-empry glass. The image wavers withthe sloshingbeer, clears last, andinonecomerof the sodden, pulpy citdbotigl she reads: ouT wR, LEFT LEFT ae, DOOR BY RAINBARREL The young Futhanatos drains the glass, grimact#Bie- terly, and leaves without acknowledging the bortender's fiendly good-bye. ee 20a “Come on in here. Hurry.” Amanda iquints into the shadows of the werehouse, reluctant to obey che whisperer. She sees nothing Hesitat. ing barely half a second, dhe pute her faith in Mie ‘Senex’s lieutenant, who plucked her out of deep space to send her here — and darts thiough the open doce. tand away, I'm closing i.” Louder now, the voice is high-pitched and gislish. The speaker continves compar ionably. “Just push through the blackout curtains — hope you're not allergic to felt — they're alittle on the arciene side, but they do the jab.” Amanda untangles herself, lets her eyes adjust. To the right toward the main stiee: entrance, an old jeepon bricks huddles next to partially dissected street cycles and Etherbykes. To the lft, cinderblock wall covered by tres, . belts and hoses shelters a cracked woeden door marked e@“Office.” Three or four halogen lights strung at odd angles glare off of a two-itory, chromed-steel junkpile ahead of hr. She stares, wondering which way it will eventually fall, “Nice, isn't she!” Eyebrow raised doubtfully, Amanda tums co face her host, Teenaged, overalled, smiling, the gil whips the ban- dann off her shor, curly, light-brown hair and wipes her face and hands with it. The black grease marks disappear, now the grime coats her pale; freckled face evenly. “We still don't know what we're going to call her. 1 kinda like the ‘Lookfar’ or the D.D. Harriman,’ bucche rest ‘of che gang all want. Amanda says nothing. The git sighs. “Right. Follow me.” ang ‘The room has no windows. Door, bed, nightstand, wardrobe, sink, desk, chair all suffer in the light of one naked overhead bulb. Paint peels from the wood. The enamel in the sink is chipped and stained. The plaster ripples and cracks from old drips in the ceiling. ‘Washed, healed, dry-clad, her hairstll wet frompdyeing, ‘Amanda stetches out on the old iron four-poster bed, inspecting ber meager supplies. Spare clothes little food, her disguise kit, towel, another jar of Mita’s healing salve, exira knives, a loaded gun and duce markéd clips... and a lererfrom her eacher she hasn't had the heart to open yet. She packs t all into legther sajglebays’and crams the old clothes, jacket, bag afl agots fio che sink, The young Fa of ves sheath, goncenteates, eyes ‘owice, many times the old the leather, the rubber ‘After whar seems like hours, she opens ind opens the taps, A chin stream of rusty water ‘washes the pile of dust down the deain, ‘Amanda lie back, the letter in one hard, her kate in the other, and falls asleep, aaa Lm still not sure abous chs, I could love my job, you know." ‘The words carry ofly faintly through the door, but the slumbering assassin is on her fect and wary before she realizes what wokeher. Amanda swapeSenex’s letter for the fun. Barefoor, soundlest, taking cover behind the ward robe. ree quiet knocks, "Mata? Amanda secognizesthe veiceof the gil from the warchouse."Ma'am?I den'tmean to bug you, but chere's kind of e problem. Um, a friend of mine is here tosee you. know OU probably don’t want visitors, but he says i's really rmportant.” Amanda sighs, reaches around for the knob of the dresser door and pulls It creaks open. Simultaneously, they ‘ NO? All door 0 the room dovly swing wide. She checks the flea inte mar overt on Foc it noche — Yeah “Col” Anas en sp cecal cog the gun Ren tend beware, eeey heats be tsnct Fotog het chen ct tl br Gale: Sacld car he tore, la nauthend, he ore te — Dats "beset hiscompenon, shutinghe ou sheesh tines ou mincon nets odie te Aor hum vc her ana eset gaia nea eal sama you beware “hese pote tobe on Carers by now! Tou told me Yu were valiegs Goad “Tow what old ou shectsn. "Someone cathe thread. Someone tried 16 jit me.” ‘ Teas, wel they wort be the ony ene if you sf Sih a eeu a egal pant onkey, she sees a face she knows, ee “Whatdoyouean?hed:nands."Youwantaeason “other than the obvious one — that you have Richard ‘Somnity’ blood on your hands, and that a6 soon as they know it, half the House of Helekar will be hunting you ‘The ungainly alchemist raises his red eyebrows high in- credulously, No. Why is chis house not safe?” “Oh.” Jeremy deflates into the chair beside im scratch- Ing the backofhisneck thoughtfully."Well,iey're probably going to come after Dr. Scherer and me, too... and Thang ‘out here all the time. Irs the fist place anybody who knew anything abou: uswouldlook, they couldn'efindus a the shop” ‘Amanda abandons neslike, stoic, she tucks the gunfineo her belt an the saddiebags onto the bed, sits beside them, digs outsocks. ve got wo...” Jeremy stammers, standing, He pushes backa blazing shock of hair embarrassed without knowing why. Unexpectedly, he finds himself concerned for het; worried, pitying the assasin. “I've gottogo now." leaves her, tapping his fists nervously againut his thighs, aon heaves ‘Two loud knocks, “Hello!” A man’s voice, too deep to be Jeremy's. "Are you sul here?” David Cho enters the room with hishands spread wide, ‘cautiously, tke a lion tamer working with a rabid animal. ‘Ainanda lowers the automatic, tacks It away and shrugs The Book of Mirrors: The Mage Storytellers Guide “Whar do you want?” she asks. “Its nice to see you, wo." He leans against the door- jamb, arms crossed now. “Iwas hoping you would answer a “What question?” “Do you have somewhere to got" Her eyes narrow suspiciously. He shakes his head, goes on: I'm not asking ‘where you're going. [just know thet this isn't your usual territory and Shangri-La isnoplace for an outider. Do you ave a plan?” ‘Amanda's brown eyes bore into his, For almost a ‘minute, she says nothing, From below, the faint murmurof the barand the whine of machinery pill over the silence. David waits quietly, corfidentiy, unwillingto let her simply starehim down, He thinks of Jeremy, confused and troubled by this woman, and enjoys gn element of revenge in his patience. Yet, near the end, he feels the same reluctant compassion for the Euthanatos before him, so coimpletely cut away from kindness He feels, too, the staggering efort ic takes her to trust hi. « “AlPrigh, then. Come with us.” “Why? the asks, and he understands the question. “You saved Jeremy and Dr. Scherer's lives. We figure vee owe you for that. And, hope, we would take you with uwevenif youhadn'. We're al... idealists, Out to save the Stray catpeople, ifyou know what Tres. Sloppy chink neta! Rope Tevet ive to sm 1 nodsfainely. His outsidehand points, wavessomeone off andpoints agnin, then waggles “come here” at its tage! “I didn’e ay 'd go.” “Youuidn’t say you woulda’e” He smiles at her. "Have younnoticed, every time we mest, we end uprunning for our lives? Why is that?” “Hey, David,” says the greasestiémkey, pokingherhead through the doceway. “Is she coring?” She looked at ‘Amenda curiously. “Are you coming?” “She's coming.” “Thate to think whet Xia and Mike are gonna sayabout that.” “Plhandle Xia andMichsel when the time comes,"he replies with a grimace. “They've been outvoted, Nowget in here.” David glides catlike to the chair, and the gir! hops lover the bed to pereh on the edge ofthe sink. “What's our‘Dr. Scherer, Jeremy and Zack have bocby trapped the apothecary. They asked Mr. Joseph to set one of his men watching it. Dr. Scherer’s up at the mansion, and che ‘Masque gave im sanctuary. Father Tim isn't back yet; he's sending a message through the Chorus to Lacey and those two you're gonna handle.” “Jeremy and Zeck you just chooed away. 'm guessing theyll ge down tothe machine shop and revene you for « while.” She wrinkles her nose at him. Dovid bites his lip, tartig a che ceiling, “How's your science project coming!” “Oh, si's doing great. I still need to hookup the grav modules we lied offof that wrecked cruiser, and I want to une up the primary thruster, they're nosy os heck, and the life support system isn't geod for more than. a week yer, and—” “Bur she runs?” interrupts David “Oh, yeah.” The gir! nods enthusiastically.“ made the side bultheadsairtighton Tuesday, and Mr. Josephdonated *Good. Load herup. We leave as s00n a1 Chaithoy gets back” "What!" Shecries, alarmed. Amanda, no less disturbed by the memory of the hulk in the warehouse, watches closely. “The old gle isn't ready for this kind of trip yet, David." David cut in sharply-*We don't have a choice. Go to work, kid. Get Zack and Jeremy to help. If they can't do anything, set them storing food or something” He lowers his voice, speaks earestly. “She's a good ship, Tomy Have a lite faith ip yourselE” Tommy shakes her head. *We can't fly her, David. She isn'tnamed!” He laughs. “Come on.” The Culest rijes,and the other two follow. ‘Amand picks up her saddlebials uncertainly. David stands by the door tolet chem leave, urns off the lone lightin the ceiling, shuts the peclingdcor behind them. With one hand con Tommy shoulder, the other on the strap of Amanda's bag, he sets a strolling pace down the hall JAVell pick up a name ang bottle of champagrie on th€ ay down, Tommy. Showb little initiative, kid (To be'continued...) $ THE CHARIOT. —_——— \NIntroduction: Smoke and Mirrors Every day you play withthe light of the univers. Subtle istor, ou arrive in the flower and the water. — Pablo Neruda, "Every Lets tall about stories. Thar'swhat we'e all herefor, isn't it? To tellstories, vomake memories out of acouple ce and a gathering of of our f sheets of paper, ends. To step away from the gris “real world” and wall among phantasies fora while, To make magic Roleplaying games aren't really shout ure, there's the bracing thrill ofa job well done, of cbstacles surmounted and enemies blown tobbits, Sure, we all like to “win," huts thae the real reason, we play RPGs ink so. [think we like bragging rights. We enjoy telling our own stories. I don’t And yeu, poor sucker, get to make thote sories come alive Welcome to Hell. Oh, is not that bad, really. We Storytellers enjoy it here in cur own litle purgatory. We make the rules,plot che Day You Play” 3s, lay the groundwork for an experience that, when all goes well, i almort like sex (and sometimes better). Every + ofplayers descend upon ‘our homes, demanding good times and great n And we love it. We love the opportunity to « pictureswe'vebeen drawing on the insides of our sells and flesh ‘em out witha few good fiends. We must love it: Why. else would we drop our ha ‘books, miniatures, sounderacks and battle maps, read our: selves bleary-eyed over complex tomes and arcane chats, argue bitterly with the Rules Lawyer and the Mad Slasher, then do ital over again? We do it because it's rush to be the Storyteller. Plain and simple, we doit because we can. Weare, in many ways, the games we play. Asimagina- tivecreations, ourcharactersand chroniclesreflectourselv Sure, they're wish fulfillments — who wouldn't want to rework the world upon command? —but we can, if we look past the funhouse-mirror effect, touch the glass and see ourselves. The things we love, hate, deste and dream about come to life, if only for a few hours a month. So long as we few daysorweeke -aveningh ‘earned cash on collections of Introduction: Smoke and Minors. 9)don’t lose sight of where the mirror ends and our fingers begin, dancing with cur reflection can be lets of fun, Enough pretensions. Let's talk bescs ‘Thisisapractical guide. A personal guide. A collection ‘of suggestions, nota tome of rules or Wisdom from on High. re, there's lots of “official” stuff to be found in this particular book — character stats, background informa- tion, answers to puzzling questions, and more — but this book's main purpose is to make you thinik. To inspire you To help you through sticky situations and offer a few ‘options you probably hadn't thought of tefere. This Book cof Mirrors is an endless hallway. Every tur and comer should bring you new ideas. And when the name of the game is reality, you can wse all the ideas you can get Running a Mage Game {Asweall know, Mage loo like an intimidating game $e rat The ber compbtty of cn petting, the coords nature ofthesubjects onthe potential fore abuse make the bravest Steele cringy atthe cheugheafeonniag an ‘extended Mage chronicle. Ie dosnt have be hit wy: Ral Mage is, atits heart, a simple game. The rules are eacy to remember once you're familiar with them, and the epic 10 The Book of Mirtors: The Mage Storytellers Guide conflicts merely offera setting for some veryhuman stories. Stories of stxlden power, progress and survival. Mage simply asks: What if you had the power to change the world? What ‘would you do with it? And what would wt do with you? Every thing else springs from thac basic idea. The four great factions merely demonstrate what some people have cho- ssen to do with the power they possess. The setting merely reflects the world they've made with t. A world that you, for bexter and worse, have inherited. ‘Thar’s it. Simple. Things really don't lok thet simple when you hefta Mage book, though. Wow. What pile of So meny options. So many realities. Where do I go from here? ‘Valid questions when you're beginning a game, After all, when you get right down cots foundations, that's what ‘Mage should be. A game. Fun, Playable. A pastime, not a chore. Hence, Pd rather handle this book with a matter-of- fact approach than with the ususl reality-skewering that ‘comes so naturally to Mage. Let's put aside the subjectivity and artifice fora moment end talk about the game itself Let’sputaside the bellsand whistles and speak plainly. Let's discuss practical things and leave the theory for another tome. Lee's talkMage, you and , We have plenty to discuss.a How to Use This Book Asalways, we've tried rokeep thisbook simple andeasy ‘© Chapter One: Anatomy of a Chronicle presents a semific end. Using the game as a forum, Deena McKinney and Wayne Peacock pass along step-by step advice for the feeding and caring ofan extended Mage game. *# Chapter Two: The Storyteller's Cornerbringsuso the game developer's table to discuss some common ques- tions about rules, details, errata and the journey of transformation that marks a mage of any kind. * Chapter Three: Behind the Scenes of the Ascen- War explores the fections — who they are, how they work, who they control and what they think of everyone che. + Chapter Four: Supporting Cast details animal, spirits and common folks, and addresses their potential roles in your chronicle. * Chapter Five: Alternate Chronicle Settings sug- gestsa variety of dfferentbackdrops, afew system guidelines and a range of source material wnal chronicle, from its inception to its eventual + Chapter Six: Observations from the Field offers advice on avarietyof ubjects, fom symbolism and magickal style to sex and gender roles. Enjoy! + Appendix: Indices offers reference indexes for rotes, Effects, Talismans and rule, as well asa suggested reading lis Once More, With Feeling I shouldn't have to keep saying this, bt some peorle never get the message. Here wego again Mage will not reach you magick. Ir will not make you ‘Awaken, Iewill nocteach you whaerodoif you did Awaken sa don’t freak out, join @cult, cut up kitties or call yourself a Verbena. If Mage inspires you to keep an open mind, seat Ifitoffends you, as yourself why. ifit makes youwant 0 apprentice yourself to the Grand Master of Flowers or something equally stupid, quit playing and get professional help. Magick, if it does exist, does not come through the pages of a game. Keep an eye on where your fingers touch the glas, and avoid bumping your nose on mirors, okay? Most of all, have fun. We do. :-) Let's go. med mo tw Introduction: Smoke and Miro HN WeeSP: Chapter One: Anatomy of a Chronicle Be coreful what you wish for. You may gett. Ancient Chi Weyne kicked off his shoes, opened a ber and bogan reading dough his new $28 investment “Him,” he mused. "Modern mages engaged in a bul for the conerolof wealcy. Way cool!” He spent the next jew hous n bls contemplation over te ticlepuroe tome, By the tie he'd fished, dozens of uas bureed around Wayre’s new conce fedging abl and is enery othe Ascension Wor ‘The nextday over lich, Wayne sprang the {dea of a Mage campaign on fellow gamers Keith and Deena: ‘Why don't youcome over conightand make up some characters? T have an idea for ranninga Mage gume set in Adanea Deena raised an eyebrow. This game souls realy weird How can you ruake such freeform magick work? ro spell or anything!” How should | know? I've n Look, ust cme over and give ie 9.” Tha night, Keth cremved a private deecrve named Peer Frewnlich, Akashic Brsher. Peter wasapet, saghsforeardany, mw showinghis emotions, who dreamed of tring hs own. y. The spacter of his mentor, an Akashic Brother need hands, shadowed Peter's pons. To prosper, he'd have to confromt the wemcoat someday, but Laed the power o do so now Deena made up Clarissa Ryan, Cult of Berasy and oumer of Way here dome this before, either saying trendy local club. Clarissa wes Pete's oppasive in almost every way — ematioral, high smng and reckless. Wayne grnned, He could see some “fendly" dscussions berween Clonssa and Peter the near future. Wayne abo cred his own character, Celestial (Chorster Father Ethan Shelley, a pcus former Oxford don now superisng an Adanta orphanage Hlehadcharacters. Hehad alot. Now Weynehaudtoget ihe bull rolling "Okay," he said. "You're working atthe bar, Clana. There ae only a couple of people here, since is just afew minutes afer ‘opening. Peter, youcame t the club 9 meet a peril client, but our abit early. The band is doing sound checks. Suddenly, you duh ge dus eve feeling os te band, Custr's Last Suni, rans rough thei set. They really suck, bythe way; they've dressed the cowheys and Native Americans end do realy lame Guadalcanal Diary covers But the weird fding seats when the drummer begins playing his fsiwed bongo. Peter, you see thre’ ancther gay a fw table over who lol ‘an expersive suc. There's something add abeut his eyes. He wells ‘oner leu, analyse that hi ees aren't flesh, They're moe He cold lass, with «reddish plow, Hl sles and pul out agun. Let's see, initiative is Wis + Alernes, rok? Rol.” ” said Keith and Deena in unison, tarledas you. He's go sberhairand wears “Oh, crap ChapterOne: Anatomy ofaChronicle 13 DLW JIN I. WZ,‘What is the wellspring of epic games? seer! Ifyou want oun a reat game frm Gf you fin session onward, youve come wo the ffs place. Thischaprer ean help you statta Maget The Ascension gue from scratch, and flrs ins to keep ging ence You B ican Wha you're already an experienced Storyteller? Is there anythinghere thatean help you? Of cour! Even the tuontbae advice has wisdom hace encned handlean ue Fellow he advercures of Wayne and ca and bring 1 new dimension to your chronicle Yul be gad you di Getting ‘Em Together PU just go sit by those obvious pleyer-character types. Stewart MacWilliam Chronicles and stories center around characters. Asa Storyteller, you can either create the chronicle to fit the characters orletthe characters fit the chronicle. Either way works, but each approach begins differently The story ealy sarts with the players. Are they eager toget going? Have they already worked out the whos, whys and wheressurrounding their characters? Have they drafted elaborate beck histories for each mystick? Ifso, pethaps an ‘open chronicle — in which the characters provide the impetus for the stories — is the best ides. Experienced sgamers favor this sortof game; here, theycan wind up their Creations and watch them go. On the other hand, the closed chronicle — where the characte Ue intoa greater story — might be abetter idea if our players seem uncertain. This type of chronicle, ideal for new roleplayes, allows you to control character cre- ation and your plots. Although it might seem restricted at first glance, the closed game works well as 2 kick-off fora new system, of ai a diversion between larger or more intricate tales Open Chronicles Open chronicles hegin with charactor creation; here, Storytellers generally construct their ploteatound the chat acters’ hopes, ambitions, actions and personalities. You might have a mixed cabal, with Dreamspeakers, Celestial Choristers, Cultists of Ecstasy and Akashic Brothers al thrown together, or end up with a more unified cabal formed by members of similar Traditions. 14 TheBook of Mirrors: The Mage Siorytelers Guide mK ff |i eee 4 Call fo Adventure: Beginning the Game The biggest problem with open chronicles geting the soup together and keeping it intact without becoming contrived. Ifyou choosethis option, getteady towingit! An ‘open chronicle demands flexibility. Your players have to ‘cooperate with you here —a group made up of an Eestacic dif, « bigoted Dreamspeaker and a renegade Progenitor is going to have a tough time staying together without a handful of good reasons! Have your players work out some connections between theit mages, and let them roleplay them to the hilt. Maybe the Cultist’ sister dated the Pro- xgenitor when he was in college, the Dreamspeaker's grudge ‘comes froma "secret project thatthe Progeniter happensto hhave worked on, and the Technomancer fels guilty about ‘his ccime, The shaman and the Ezstati, meanwhile, clash constancy over philosophies, bur maintain an unspoken romance disguised by rivalry. What happens if he scientist falls for the Cutis, t00? Opposites do attract alter all: Now you have tas that bind — and pechags gag as wel! Drama risesnaturally outof interpersonal conflicts, Give the group a compelling reason to stay together — the aforementioned secret project. for instance —andler the players take things from there. Nobodh’s perfect, of course. Sometimes it takes a heavy-handed introdkction to set everyone in the same direction. As longastheopening scene sets thetone forthe game, though, who realy cares? Wayne used the dreaded “tar fight” device, but it worked, Peters potential client probably won't show up, bu the characters wll be way t00 busy worrying about Iteration X to care! There are, of course, a milion ways to jump-start the ‘action withouta bar brawl. Maybe Pere trackssomecne 0 the alley behind Clarisa’s club; raybe Clatissts old lover wants something he left in her apartment, and has hired Petertorettevei...rougetthe idea. There are many ways tostarta chronicle. So longas the tale begins with a hang, You're on the nigh track, Closed Chronicles Closed chronicles are plotdriven. Storytellers create that plot, hen ask the players to make appropriate charac: ters within given guidelines. Say you want toruna historical chronicle using the Order of Hermes; one mage could be nobility, another a peasant and the third an ambastador from the Church. Simply tell your players what you want, sive them ahandout of pertinent information (or make up their characters in advance yourvel), and let them take over from there. The focus of the tale comes from you. Although this approach might seem restricting to someplayers, such gomes are easier to boggin than open-ended tones are. The charecters kegin with common goals, mutual ties and a reason to he together ‘Closed chronicleshave three potential problems: Firs, difficulties with a player who can't conform you may he to the game's structure. If you're running Euthanatos c’hronicleseraround cleaning out and rebuilding the House (of Helekar, and somecne insists on playing a Verbena who hhates Euth that’s a big issue. Do you want to keep your rlans intact” Ifso, you need to gently guide the player toward another opzion or give her character a compelling reason to stick around, ‘The second problem involves the chronicle's evolu- tion. fall goes well,the players willeventually wantto grow beyond the game's original structure. Once the House of Helekar is refurbished, for examy then? Will you close down your successful chroni levelop somenew ideas? The one-shot game is okay, but eager players will demand more sores if they've had a good time. Finally, closed chronicle requires much more work on. your part, You need to have a solid idea of the plot, antagonists and direction ofthe story before the game even The phyers should know, through handouts or discussion, how toact within the serting, and should have reasons to stay on course. Runnings good closed chronicle requires mote conero] than an open one, so think things through carefully before yousend out invitations to poten: tal payers The Reflexivity Compact: Listening andBrainstorming He wanis todows favor or doing her afavor fier she does him a favor? The mind boggles — Darrell Autrey Where do great Storytellers come up with thetr Meas? ‘Ave they naturally bulliant and creative, or do d shamelessly from other sources? Where do the ccomplexscheme somemorable?Forn melange of ereativity, resources, player input and luck. You begin with the germofan i set the players free to tie icy detailsthat make cest 5c Storytellers, the proces involves Idcomplications, andthen Return again to the example of Wayne's introductory with three distinct goal Get the charac- Bogart 50 aptly clement, in this case the bongo di orestthe game's ules. and decidedthat the called « "ingus” — an enigmatic plot um. To a lesser extent, scenario; he saw some interesting conflicts developing ‘Chapter One: Anatomy of a Chronicleerween Peter and Clarissa over lifestyles and magickal jgms, and he wanted the players to have a healthy tespect for Iteration X. Each character alteady has some future plotlines builtin, like Peter's conflict with his Fallen ‘mentor. By the time the fight in the club ends, Wayne will have accomplished most of his goals. The characters will become comrades in arms, will have survived serap with a HIT Mark, and will have a mission: Find out what's so special sbout that drum’ After the fight, the characters meet. Peter andClarissa surmise that the drum is some sort of Native American Talisman, and they resolve to find out more about it. Keith and Deena tell Wayne their plans; he, in tum, plots ahead His character, Father Shelley, wil be visiting the nearest reservation in the next scenario. Wayne makes notes to ccheck oat some books on Native American culture and arufacts, and to create a Dreamspeaker shamsn a sup porting characcer. He ends the session with a new crop of Ideas realy co harvest. The point of this example is that the Storyteller isn't the only creative force in a successful game. Wayne began the chronicle, but from that starting poinc, che players became his partners. They plannedand brainscomed, hand ing the attentive Storyteller a platter of ideas for furure ‘games. Mingling theit ideas and goals wieh his own, Wayne gets hie chronicle offto a great start Using Supplements for Best Effect Wayne cacded wickedly atthe lol: on Daena’s fae ashe decried the Maze of Ebon Gates, svorghold of the Jade Demen. Clerisa had blndered ino every web he'd spun, coningontooneof the Nefhandus henchmen and llowing him tothe dark Labyrinch beneath Chicago's Chinatown, Within the Maze, the Fallen archnage awaied his new “ecquisions” — isa, Father Shelly andthe Demon's former pupil, Peter. in reolit, Wayne had a litle hep ualdng these Ebon Gates: a chapter in The Book of Chantres. In time, a fmalbacle in the Chinese Labrinch woud spel either salvation or comuption for Carissa, Peter avd Father Sheley. Wayne could hardly wait Even the most creative Storyteller with loads of time on her hands nuns dry of ideas occasionally. Thankfully, there's a 20-year-old wellspringof creativity waiting inside the nearest game or bookshop: game supplements. To use or not to use? And what to use if youdo? That's ‘a mater of personal preference. Some Storytellers take a published bookas gospel andwork outward fromthe “estab- lishedcanon.” Others pick and choose, rewriting ‘mixing systems and adding or discarding elements as they will. Either option works. Supplements are smorgasbords of ideas. Pick and choose from them, ciloting cheir settings and characters to fit your individual needs. You may just want t0 use a few characters in a setting of your own, or might simply choose the ideas as a springboard for some 16 The Book of Mirrors: The Mage Storrtellers Guide| thingnew. The choice of materials —and the use you put them co — ie yourt. Ifyou choose t2 employ material from supplements, its important to keep the focus on the players. Ultrapowerful NPCs (Scoryteller-run characters) or intricate settings can ‘overshadow your players if you favor what i wri what is played. Ir’ faally easy to let Pocthos take center stage when he's goe Sphere powers from hell and influence tomatch, Keephim in the background, though — the story belongs to your troupe, not to the "Mages of Nore,” regard- less of how interesting or powerful those notables may be. Keep your chronicle focused on the trials of your player’ characters. The great measure of game book isthe ideas it ingpites, not the statisties it contains. Preparation e's noe murder: it's housecleaning — Wayne Peacock Preparation exists on a continuum. On one end, some Storytelleslike tomun theirgameswith nothing morethen a few scrawled notes. Attheatherend, some folks need all the characters neatly finished on sheets, with extensive details and a flowchart of the plot. Most people, of course, fall somewhere in between Generally, the more experienced you are the more flexible andiinforrual your preparations can ke. Many Story- tellers like to hepin plotting their scenarios with a simple outline, lstingeventsof the game inthe ideal order, lescrib- ing other charecters the players will meet along the way. A fewnotes about important clues, sightsor sensationscompli ‘mentacouple of Storyteller character sheets. That’sall most experienced Storytellers need, although there's something to besaid for erring on the side of caution rather than being caught unprepared. Ifyou're new to this, spend little extra time fleshing out the plot and the characters. This brain- storming process — which might or might not involve lots of paper, depending on how you prefer to work — will give you a chance to figure out your appreach. ‘And then there's presentation, the method you use 10 get ideas across to your troupe. Will you speak through the Storyteller characters and sensory impressions (good) ot drone out endless "10" x 10"roam" descriptions (net good)? ‘Wayne, for example, prefers to speak through his Story- teller characters. He offers clues, details and wamings through dialogue, and saves objective narration for key Scripts vs. Notes Flexibility is an essential but often slipperystorytelling art. Playersseldom, ifever, do whar you expect! If you've set ‘up a rigidly linear plot and the players start deviating from it, you're going toger frustrated. Yet if you don'tallowthem to deviate, they're going to be frustrated. Sometimes, how. ever, you have to force the ple along. you want to aveid total chaos (or boredom), certain things have to happen: Cereain plot elements must fall into place no matter what the characters do, or don't do. Without those “falling dominos,” you're stuck witha series of random events, not story. How can you stike a balance between the wo! Scripts are the most detailed preparations you can make, Like pre-designed ‘adventure modules,” they in- cide sample dialogue sarmples, full wri Storyteller characters, maps and minut possibleencounter. While they reuseful when playersinsist ‘on groaning sideboards of description, scripes can be super- fluous; they require lots of prep time and detract from the game's natural spontaneity. A Storyteller who feels com- pelle to stick to her script loss flexibility, and often ends Up trapped becween what the script anticipates and what the players actually do. Notescontain fewer derailsand estrictionsthan scripts. Although they demanda lot of improvisational skill, afew sidelines offer youmore room tomove than a pre-prepared script does. Mostexper scripts for that reason; they start with an eutline, chen jot down new ideas when inspiration strikes. As thing con- tinue, these Storytellersadd details — unresolved plotlines, new characters, changed relazionships ienced Storytellers prefer notes over into the notes. ‘The hard partie keeping up with your players; there'll be lots of them and only one of you The happy medium involves a “cheat sheet,” shore cutline of important characters, events and plans behind the scenes. With it, you ean plot out who's doing eshat to thom before the players enter the picture. ise this cutline asa guidebook, not 2 a walkway, It's easier tostay flexible when your plot has some *give” to it. rigid sequence of “This fellows ths follows this” isa recipe for frustration — yours and thei. Bewamed: Nothing annoysplayersmore than apoctly prepared Storyteller. Whichever method you prefer, make sare thatthe game keeps moving, Sessions that begin with “Well, you'reall sitting around the Chantry. What do you do?” go downhill fast. A few games should teach you the level of preparation that best suits your needs. Make sare you'te prepared enough before you invite the folks over to play If your schedule is too tight to allow you to prepare @ cheat sheet in advance, consider whether you wantto run agame tall. Nobody enjoyssitting through astory that rou aren't ready to run — leas of all you. © The Cheat Sheet Puc simply, a storys plot is really a matter ofcause and fect. What are the events of your story? How do the characters change those events? Do you envision certain cutcomes,and fso, how do you manipulate the plottomeet them? The plot of a good game is just like that of a good book, moving becween events, settings, conflictsand char: acters © aclimax and a resolution ChapterOne: Anatomy of aChronicle 17 RW VMS TSee 4 aura A “summary netes? outline for each story can be invaluable. This outline, a few pages not what ro whom (including short descriptions of the and “whoms" in question), can save you lo: ofscrambling later. Before each game, sketch out the “offstage” players and their agenclas as they exist before the troupe gets involved. The players characters exist to foul these agen- das, of cours, «0 leave them out ofthe equation until they wind up as parts of plans. Once the story begins, use the outline as 2 “blueprine” for the actions your Storyteller characters pursue. Between each session, update the notes asneeded. Let’ssay your original plot features a powerful vampire, a cabal of Orphans in an “abandoned” theater, a drug: dealing Progenitor, his gang and a corrupt mayor. Youd describe each person inshorthand ("Resaro, vampire prince of the city; call, lng black hair, commanding presence, speaks politely but firmly. Has control of police, mayor & local gangs but has opposition among Kindred. Has infl cence over Nightmare Theater Orphans through Sinclar, a Blood Dol inthe group."),plotout their relationships (the “Doissetep Cabal Politics” chart in The Book of Chantries offers a good template for such plotting), and decide whet each party to subvert the Nightmare Theater through Sinclair, the Orphans plan to host a huge Halloween hash at their place, the Progenitr’s girlfriend wants them both to attend, his who's doing hos” rants toaceomplish. We'll ay that Rosario plans ‘The Book cf Mirrors: The Mage Storytellers Guide the Progenitor than he would so the Hollow One (and probably won't think much of either of ther). Perception and prejudice shapes the way we see things, and tht. too, can play a part You can, of course, go overboard. Too many rich, chick descriptions hog the game dow. The key to giving good sensory detail is knowing then to describe what in such a ‘manneras to maken impression on the players. Be selective: choose one or two notable things — the things that form soar fist impression — and concentrate on those elements. Re- member, you're a Storyller, not 9 storyuriter. Watch yout players; f thei eyes start to glaze over, cut tothe chase. VA [I NW ie Sense Memory acto? 8 NOt a rote. This inal Pio Serres ian ae 2OUEY wre, iran needa” *4ding toi whenever pop ee fle” reno er posible and open ing fri A on ming ne en and sation: Ns one whatever you'e dein emnent — catalogue your sen sory impressions of imrrion othe next cage Move fom one a= sisclating the expen Foil, and ad each ont ee Pee es muchas _ i 1 closing the 2 AEU Mental fle En ek Have a sense mer: sane memory folder of Sees need desert ach tal fling cabinet wherever yo Ube there, open the mental Ale. Cl, Dette somethi Bs How desta ftir eI 2 toh he How do things sound? Fi how it, looks, then Imprestions. And lace or time. MoHoliday Specials, or Humor Can Be Fun Allright! That's it! e's goten sil — John Cleese, Monty Python's Flymg Chews Mageis a pretty serious game; the charactersarefight- ing for humanity’s future as we know it. That’s heavy material, folks. Occasionally a note of wicked humor is appropriate, espectally around the holiday season. The average Sleeper’ suspension of dsbelie safer all, gener- ally more flexible beeween Occoberand the end of the yea, and all kinds of things can happen. ‘When the Atlanta group's troubles with the Techno- ‘Wayne decides to lighten things up. As Crisemas wees appear in parking lots and the neighborhood kids suddenly get a lot nice: Wayne decides to give the players a special treat: a Mage holidaystory. Afesr fattening the playersupon sweets, he tosses them into-a gameset ac the North Pole, complete with elvesand a hig man ina sed suit calling himself Santa ‘The only problem is that every nove and then, ene of he characters hears cres for help in the distance, voices that souind like Father Shelley and the children from the or- hanage. Thus begins the advencure that will scon be dubbed “Santa Nethandus and His Barabbi Elves” The group has so much fun that Wayne follows the tale with a Inter epic, “The Applesauce Gang Rides Again” pitting amnesiac mages against a gang of perky cowboy Marauders. ‘The point toall hisis tha i's good:o takeoffthe black seil occasionally. Gaming is supposed to be fun. If each sessionis oh sosclemin and grave, the players will get bored. Irs okay to have some laughs once in a while, Realy ‘rats and Jade Demon beconte coo int Extra Touches. Lots of small, seemingly unimportant touches can smake games rally fun,and your job much easier. Here are afew suggestionsfor Storyteller props that give the gamean extra boost. ‘© Maps and Floor Plans: When planning an outdoor setting or an urtan chronicle, maps are indispensable. A good world atlas can be had for less than §20; many state tourism offices and city chambers of commerce send out maps free of chaige. Books of commercial house plans are cheap and come in handy during combat situations. If the characters build a Chantry, deavr up floor plans with your players; you never know when unexpected visitors might come calling, Miniatures and batclemats make combats casytotrack, and give the group a focus, too. It's easy to see who's where when you have 4 tableau right ia fone of you. See "The Lively Art of Combat 1nd Trickss Whether youhavea lost page of loreor seemingly blank scroll, puszles and trick props keep players amused. Write outa ritual ona piece of parchment, ow, for more details = Pusies 26 The Book of Mirrors: The Mage Storytellers Guide then cut the paper into fragments, losing a few in the garbage can. Putting the pieces together will cause compli- cations! Or use the old trick of writing a message with lemon juice, which remains invisible until held over a candle lame. These kindof *mood” pieces lend.a mysteri- ous arto the game. * Letters: Whether delivered by winged familiar, sprit or just snail mail, eters from Storyteller characters to player’ characters personalize the game. Theplyes enjoy reading and re-reading witty “in-character” liters more than just listening to ¢ quick speech from yo. * Pictures: The cliché is true; a picture is worth a thousand words. Consider getting actual pictures of the places you use inthe chronicle fyoucan. The World Wide Web isanexcellent place to obtain photos. Keep magazine clippings of interesting people as a source for Storyteller haraccer; catalogs and fashion magazines ate a cheap place w start If you're one ofthe lucky flks who can draw veel, ilustrate your main characters and other strange objects or places that are important. * Quotation Collections: Dialogue flies back and forth between player and Storyteller characters like spit wads in 9 classroom. Take advanage of that! Assign 2 “quotekeeper” to jot choice morsels down and sead them hack at the heginning of the next game. It's entertaining and keapsa flow of continuity between games. + Personalized Binders: lf you can affordtoblow afew bucks, make ring-binders for each character to keep things organised. Players can personalize their binders with pie tures of their characters, notes, appropriate Sphere sheets (see Hidden Lore) or homemade rates. Dedicated players may even want to writeup individual adventure logs from their characters’ point of view. I's probably a matter of personal choice whether ocnot you keep trackof everyone's foldersorleave the esponsibility tothe players, but they're helpful chings to have. * Episode Guides: Keepinga running episode guide of your chronicle isa lot of fun. Enlist the players’ aid, have someone write afew paragraphs about each session, andadd awit ttle. Storytellers can use episode guides 1 remem berencounters and unsolved plots, while players can use them to keep track of important characters and activities. The Real Setting “The game's eal-worldseting can supply jus as mach depth and moodas che World of Darknes tl. Make the “gaming room” a morehospitable place with afew ofthese saggetions. * Music: Many gamers enjoy “mood music.” Several Mage sourcebooks offer suggestions for appropriately atmo- spheric music, and dhreads on the subject crap up often on ‘White Wolf newsgroups. Dead Can Dance, The Change- lings, Minisery, Loreena McKennitt, Gusto Holst,S- send, Sky Cres Mary. Mian Sx Garden ad 8 Care Neale een Mage err vr ay © weiecineccerininngtnpecc trek Forencreeielovch cond toundracef yout own sean reach ane Lights: Lighting isademma. Evenone reeds oe sis choc det ted but iors ely spi she mod Lamps wich fo or colred ble can Ui candor radon ex ‘Props: Asmentioned above, maps, floorplans and clues are good props. If2 character has a certain focus forhismagick, lke silver pendant the player may want to bring a real-world equivalent along. If your group has a p cutting each other of anything from a carved Native American staff to a beat-up wooden ral lem wich players constancly get acme sort of “speaking stick” — ‘Apleyetholdeontothe tick while hespeaks, then pasies it along to the next speaker in turn. Cnly the player with the stick may speak, though everyone should agree on a maximum time limit 1 Elbow Ro. everyone. Some gemers like sitting around « table; others Make sure you have enough space for prefer sprawling on the floor with pillows and household pets. Whatever your preference, make sure everyone has room for their characters nd notes, a place to rell diceand es comfortable seating * Food: For somereason, gamers love toeat: rare isthe gaming book without a greasy snack smear. So give alittle thought 10 having nitbles ready at hand, Everyone might bring something to chip in each session, or take tums providing all sacks for a given day. Alternatively, every- ‘one could put money into akitty and make aquick grecery run before the game begins. Food isnt usually an issue unless one person continu: ally provides everything without reimbursement. No one should ever assume it’s the host's responsibility to provide munchies. Mos hosts appreciate a “free food day,” since they're providing space for everyone to meet The “R” Word: Rules Pmonly down to Mauled, andimy body shielded my ray gun! — John Craddock As described in the immortal Golden Rule, systems often take a back seat to drama. To paraphrase Stewart MacWilliam, its far more important to play the character than the game. Even so, rules still seve a vital functi ‘They allow the players to know how the universe works, and offera frame of reference. Roleplaying isabsteact; rules smake it more concrete Roles should help the game, not hinder it. They ought @ to make material easier for the player to digest, not more difficult. [Fa rule undereuts the players! enjoyment of the ID. IID IIWANgame (and drives the Storyteller nus), discuss revising or clscarding it. Be careful, hough, thet rules revisions don’t encourage the players to become power-gamecs. Then there are *house rules,” systems agreed upon by the troupe to suit its style of play. Every group has them, ‘whether players admit it or not. Wayne's house rules, for instance, require foc for all Effects and limit the number of botches each player can get in a single game. If you're new to Mage, spend some time reading the rules. Decide what you like and don't like, discuss your ideas with the players and incorporate their input into a house system. Tryouryour variations, maybe ina practice session, before you bring rules changes into the regular game; that way chey won't foul up the normal run of play Arbitrating Magickal Effects Do sou belie humans can fy? Ifo, how fast? — Keith Marti Magick isa personal Art, noca series ofcombat maneu- vers. The forms ittakes ependonthe magewho willsthem, Sohowdoes a given mage define magick! How do his beliefs shape his willworking? For a Storyteller, the answers to these questions depend on each character's (and Storyteller character's) background and beliefs. Read Chapter Eight of the main rulebook and Ross Issacs piece in this book's CChaptee Sic...and then reread them as often as necessary Familiarize yourself with the various Sphere Effects ‘even in the Mage rulebook, Chapter Eight. Imagine what magick looks like foreach Tradition (or Convention), and think about how each group explains masick's existence Then ask yourselfa few questions: How could you describe magickro che players How does beliefinfluenceacharacter’s style? How does it alter the appearance of her magick? Encourage the players to think about their characters’ magickal styles — especially what works, what doesn't and why. The “Lady into Tiger” example on page 181 of the main rulebook offers a few clues to such questions Ie’ sad fact that each time you make a ruling on how magick doesordoesn't week, youcreate aprecedent.youallaw aacharacter to use magick a certain way inone instance, you'd beter justify why she cant repeat the Effect in another. Check ‘out Wayne's eaty dispute with Pradha; Wayne disagreed with the old interpretation, and Pradha wanted an explanation asto wwhyherroce was fine for one yame and not another. nchiscase, ‘Wayne talked to her, discused their options, and lft the final resolution vp for # compromise. Sometimes i’ okay to simply say “Ie doesn't wetk forthe game chac way"; hopeflly, your player willunderstand, When indoubt, look atthe rotesand use them asexampleso ookat the examples and “Magickal Feats" char in Mage, pages 168 and 170 Finally, don’t be afraid wo make a decision and stick witht. As long syou'refairand consistent, there shoulda’t be a problem. Afterall, Mage ie about incerpretations of reality — and realiey, as we know, ita fluid ching. 28 The Book of Mirrors: The Mage Storytellers GuideWK The Lively Art of Combat Were those your HIT Marks downstairs? —Keith Martin ‘After a long semantic discussion, a good scrap can really wake the players up. Sill not all players are “combat monsters"; long die-rolling fests bore the hell out of some people but excite others to rapture. It’s generally best to keep middle ground, then, balancing your chronicle with a mix of “cerebral” roleplaying and fast-paced combat. Imagine combat as if it were an action scene in an adventure movie. Thinkabout Die Hard, Raider of the Lost Arkor the Star Wars trilogy. The he- roesnever gotabreakoncethe weapons ccame out. You want t0 generate this e kind of excitement, so avoid the xt tumn— roll your dice again” syn- drome. Vivid descriptions. — ‘Bad-dad-ow! The guns roar andbullets scream cff the wall jastover your shoulder!” —adds immea- surably co the experience. Don't be afraid to look silly; get involved! Combat, in its measure, is drama, Good pacing is essential for combat scenes. A battle has co move quickly; long dice-rolling-chart-checking contests trash a good story's momentura, Players, like theircharacters, ought to be thinking on their fect. No ‘one — in eal life or fiction — gets to contemplate his next shot for 10 minutes. I's been said that the best combat system is to whack your players upside the head with the rulebook; while we wouldn't advocate euch, um, drastic measures, the point — that battle doesn’: stap while everyone checksall the modifiers — is valid. Don’egive ‘em room to breathe; don't let upon the pace, ever. until the last foe — or character — falls Some house rules or shortcuts can help keep combat moving. You might allow only one initiativerole per scene. For example, Stanley, Peterand Broti, a new mage in the ccabal, are fightinga Man in Black; they oll initiative and get 3,6, 2 and 4, respectively. Everyone keeps these initia tive numbers until the fight is over, rather than rerclling them every tum. Another option “drops” enemies who reach the Wounded Health penalty; combat can last for ever ifthe antagonists keep popping back up. As always, talk to your players about your chronicle’s house rules. Ask what they want to see in a good scrap. Finally, the supple- ofier alternative combat systems — one an abbreviated narrative flow, the otheran exzensive move-and-modifier ‘option — for close-quarters situations. fo tools are indispensable to running good combats bbactlemats snd miniacures. Both accessories help you keep track of who's doing what to whom and where. You've probably seen lead or plastic miniatures, which come indi vvidually in blister packs or in boxed collections, Ideally, Chapter One: Anatomy ofa Chronicle 79IWS NO? All youll wantvogecminiaruresthaclook like the characters in your game and paintcher accordingly. Batlemats ar large plastic-coated pieces of cloth, usually availabe in clear or tan, marked with hexes or squares. They aren't cheap investments; good bartlematscan cost more than the basic rulebock! They'te well worth the money, though, when bodies start tofly To save time, fyou havea fightplanned, daw out the scene in detail on the batelemar and hide it from the players. Be sure to use water-saluble markers (not dy erase markers) and clean up the battlemat as soon as possible. No cne wants permanent reminders ofthat fightin the Succubus Club! * Stunts and Magick Mage is fantasy; part ofits appeal is that you can pull stunts that no teal person could manage. Creative combat tactics — acrobatic leaps, banter, timely “coincidences” and dramatic placedshots — break up the tedium of rolling dice. So let your players get creative, Reward their crazy stunts with bonuses, and assign some sor of roll — ually a Willponer, Dexterity + Athletics, or Manipulation + (whatever's appropriate) contest —to decide the successor failure ofthe stunt. An extradie,alowered difficulty cr total success make good rewards for ceative and daring acts in combat. Don't let astrict reading of “the rules” dampen a cool bit. People think of warring magi as lightning bolt ma- chines; in Mage, that’s rarely true. The combination of Paradox, Sleepers and sheer difficulty make coincidence a better weapon than vulgar magick. Literal weapons, on the other hand make ideal foci for magickal Effects. Thanks 0 themovies, many people believe youcan blow upacat with awell-placed bullecorsurvivean explosion intact"I{you're lucky." Mages are lucky, all right. Their guns hardly ever jam, their swords remain sharp and ready, and they never seem to run out of ammo. Luck smiles on them in other ways, t00; by shifting wind cureents (Forces), probability (Entropy), physical prowess (Life) or perceptions (Comre- spondence, Frees or Mind), a mage can succeed where others would fail...and do so without risking a Paradox backlash The oft-cited Cinematic Example guideline given in both Mage ard The Book of Madness offers youa general framework for outrageous fortune. A well-placed punch thatsends a fe smashing througha window (Life or Forces) is coincidental; one that makes his head explode isnt. Use your best judgment; ifs stunt seems too silly to be accept- able, consider it vulgar. Note that Sleepers aren't stupid martial arts movies may be popular in Hong Kong, but a mage who leaps 60 feet through the airs pushing his luck, even fhets an Akashic Brother. The tone of your chronicle ‘ought o set the “realism” of the stunts you allows a gritty same won't be nearly asforgivingas Jackie Caan-inspired romp. ‘The Bock of Mirrors: The Mage Storytellers Guide Separationand Capture “Okay,” said Wayne. “You and Myr, the gl you just, ticked up on Bourbon Stee...” “Every man should have an affair to remember in the Big Easy,” grinned Stewart “Wel, thar'sone way wo eok at it. Anyway, whatdo you 09: wentto do? The romantic Mississippi beckons, The moon i ful, the night isclear. What next?” asked Wayne. "Midnight stroll?" “stherier too scummy?” Steuartasked. Wayne shrugged. “Sowhat itis? Ishuckmy clothes and wade in, bu: no deeper than my knees.” "Myrt follows. She kises you. She nibbles your neck. ‘And. ..make an initiative rll” “What! cried Stewant. “What's going on?” Wayne threw his dice. “Apparently Myrt, because she's trying © stick you with this long, sharp spike. You got tree successes 10 her four?” Stewart nodded. “Andi she go three successes on her hitall. Ouch. She jams thetkingrighiruo your shoulder. It hurts, and all ofa sudden you don't fel so good. Make a Willpower rol.” “Uh, oh, One lousy success,” Stewart replied Wayne shook his head gravely: "Everything fades to lack...” ‘Separating or capturing characters can be a hassle for novice and expert Storytellers ake. Players don't like to lose by Storyteller far, butsometimes the only otheroption isklling ¢ character outright. Separation or capeure situa tions also force you to run several solo adventures simultaneously. Players get bored waiting on you to get to their tur. So how can you run a capture scenatio without pissing your players off The sectet is rus. If you've always been willing to listen tothe others andruna chronicle that's more coopera tive rle-telling than order imposed from above, the players will probsbly give you benefit of the doubt. Stewart, an experienced gamer and Wayne's fiend, felt he would be treated fairy, sohe dida’ panic when his character fell. He figured Wayne wouldn't just ill Sealey for dhe bell fi and he was right. Sometimes it's fan to let a player dig his character's grave; even so, too much of that gets old. The player feels like he can't make a move without risking his character's safety. Occasionally, then, e's good to capturea mage who's done everythingright, but who just getsscrewed. The world is a dangerous place, after all. Maybe he fell asleep the previous night and woke up in some Marauder kid's dun geon. On the other hand, you shouldn't take advantage of the player’ understanding. Capture every now and then is fun, but you can overdo it. Abblue-booking sesion (see below) isa good option to help keep all your players involved during separation and4 ISA the game. You will hear about it, and che words won't be kind. (See Chapter Two for more suggestions about rn ning solo games and other odd circumstances.) Mortal Combat ‘They'rejusta bench of skinheads, but they're wealy kicking Stewart MacWilliam ‘The definition of “antagonist” ie “One who actively poses and competes with another." Such opposition doesn't have to result in open warfare, but combat with therersitory in most RPGs. AMage chroniclenesdn't bebuilton endlessfighting, buta goodsense of drama comes from opposition —orfrom the threat oft, at the very eas. Accabal of mystics willface any number of antagonists inthe course of your chronicle. While Chapters Three and Four present this subject in more derail, afew points are worth making here. ‘+ Humans Aren't Cannon Fodder! Most Storytellers overlook the importance of the man cor woman down the street, or ofthe faithful consor who suards the Chantry. Even so, Sleepersneed to be morethan rmindlessdupes ofthe Technocracy andsnacks or Nephandi. Fee lec ee ce teers ane das, Who's that nosy woman who runs the local bookstore? Won't she eventually wonder why these odd characters keep askingherto ocate occultcomes! Whathappensifshe follows the unsuspecting characters back to their Chantry ‘one day! The presence of Sleepers raises interesting ethical issues. If those issues are being ignored, is realty therapy time, ‘Too many players assume that “normal” humans are ‘weak and ineffectual; quite often, the opposite is ue. Just because a trained soldier can't pull a Forces rote out of her hhar doesn't mean che MI6 slung over her shoulder won't cchewa mage to bits. Youcan havea lot of fun showing the all-powerful willworkersusthow effective Sleepers can be, = The Unearthly Spirits, vampices, shapechangers...sometimes it seems like the world is full of enemies. Often, itis, andanold and powerful vampire makesa serlousenemy indeed. And while peed and strength of an enraged Garou. Make the characters lives willworkers can shape reality, few can macch th more interesting (in the Chinese sense) — use characters from other Storyteller games as adversaries; ‘The trick of cours, isto avoid turning yourchronicle intoa“monsterofthe weck” circus. There'snodenyingthat appeacances. After all, if somebody's conjuring a dragon Chapter One: Anatomy ofa Chronicle 31IWAN, cevery other week, that majestic and legendary creatures become just another bit of scenery. What a waste of good potential! ‘When some unearthly being shows its shadowy face, don’t rattle off its statisti, point of origin and motive; instead, describe ic as a mysterious, alluring yet forbidding presence of dubious origins and intentions. What's more effective: the *10ch-generation Brujah with five ghouls on motoreycles"orthe “burly, scarredman in weathered leather with a predatory grin and a pack of peychopathie bikers rumbling in behind him"? Shift your descriprions of sur- roundings and antagonists to chill your players, then let them draw their own conclusions from whar their charac- ‘As well ee later in this chapter, Mage is deal cress- cover verity. Just remember that when the eerie stranger comes calling. he’s more efecrive in the shadows than on acharacter sheet © What Evil Lurks? Tradition mages aren't saints: some are complete assholes. Nor are all Technomancers demons they're hu rman withthe same emoriens and ealties as any Tradition uillworker- An enemy is moce effective when he seems familia, we mighe not agree vith his motivations, but we understand what they could ke. (Marauders are a notable exception; the morealien their motives, che more unnerv- ing they become — for tha reason.) ‘Whetherthey be mageor mortal, antagonists shouldbe interestingand comples. Give them their own motivations and stories, personalities and goals. Afterall, this is your chance to have some roleplaying fun of your own. Blue-booking Another Aaron Allston creation, blue-booking takes place when players and Storytellers write notes and cia- logue to exch other rather than roleplaying aloud. Aazon took the name from theblu examination tookletshe used spiral notebooks or legal pads werk just as well The pint {Sthac you want somethingporable andeasilystomabe char provides a permanent recerd ofthe chronicle ‘So what are the advanages 10 blue-booking over “normal” roleplaying? Fire ofall, buctooks (or other rineneschives) wore comple hunory of tha chon Months lace, you can go back and confi that Caeron Musca‘ didindced offerthecharecte an invitation 10 visit Doivetep. Blusbooks keep facts readily at hand. Blucbooka also allow room forthe exchange of wcrets cremburrasing"offaage roleplaying InWayne'schronicle, Ketch igh wane en Ledlge in adr Forest: invet prion for Peter, atau thatwouldtake ae ime away from the ocher pagers By writing down his invetigation proce- dre ina blurbook, Keith erves time and Keeps the game's momentum going y the same token if Gvenand Clarissa 32 The Book of Miers: The Mage Storytellers Guide wane to engage in alurid interlude, Pradha and Deena can blue-book the session as a less self-conscious means of firation. Blue-booking also provides a good opportunity for characters ro keep in couch with their Storyteller- character friends without taking away from geme time. So how do you start blue-booking? Try session for one game. Sit and wait for the players to write ‘materials in their books and pass them on for your replies Encourage players to write to exch other, alos chi takes some presiure off you. Or leave downeime at the end of sessions for players to write in their bluebooks. Take the books home, read the players’ notes and offer in-depth responses. The next game begins with everyone reading their bhuchooks. This allows youa lot more leisure time to write a good reply A variant on blue-bocking isthe e-mail game. It works in much the same way: Players send youa list of actions and requests; you, in turn, respond accordingly, Like blie- booking, e-mail is great forroleplaving meetings, romances and information gathering; i's not so greatfor combat. You canprint thee-mailand thus keep itas partof the written” chronicle in your notes Offstage gaming can be good for the occasional expe- rience point. If the character accomplishes something ignificant on her own time, give the player @ point to spend. Don’t let this get out of hand — the "I trashed the Technocrats" power-gamer cculdglerfyhismage'sachieve ments in downtime if you let him. As always, let common sense and balance be your guide. (Hidden Lore provides a more in-depth look at blue-booking, and HERO Games Sorte Force provides the original source.) Solo and Pair-Games ‘You can resolve character subplots with solo or puir- games between major events. Like blue-booking, single-player gamesallow for ime outsile the regular gare for characters personal interests. They make grest preludes to Awakenings and provide segues into new ploelines, Wayne, for example, breught the Jade Demon into his chronicle by running a solo adventure for Clarissa. The interests of one cheracter soon affected all the characters One note caution: Solo and pair-games move along mich auicker than gameswith agroup of three or four characters Theextratime permitsa lot more roleplaying andattention to detail, 0 prepare accordingly! ‘Another alternative isa session between two players without your supervision. This is ideal if the players want their characters to embark on afars of the heart or discuss the finer points of Hermetic ritual Such sessions allow for inedepth roleplaying and character development. Tech: niques like solo, pait or unsupervised sessions keep a game from grinding to a halt as one or two players act out their character’ shopping sprees or domestic squabbles.Ax of God: NCnOccins Wayneheld uphisglass tothe players: “This is just to say thanks, guys. We've been playing Mage for almost two years now ard. t's been WA rear. Thanis for making my job so easy ‘After the wast, he got down to business. “I ‘want2o talk about where to go from here. I've got pleney of ideas, so 1 don’t want you co think the game's winding down. Butgeting the whole Jade ‘Demon thing resolved has lef a vactear of sors Net to mention she fact that your characters are geting really powerful. I've sel got plans forthe trains andthe Umbra, which Thnow interests Stanleya lor, but what about he restof you I'm not somuch asking for specific things you want to do, but rather hich direction you'd lke to see the game take What kind of flavor you want it to have. See the difference?” “"Well, for my part,” said Darell, the fith and newest player, “Tsai like explering ‘inner’ themes, if you want to call them that. Since my Sonof Ether Brotijustjoined up, he's missed ‘alot ofthe philosophizing and talk about paradigms ond magic. I'm interested in Seekings and pondering Ascension and all @ tha.” “lke those things, 100,” added Deena. “Inaway, the Jade Demon plot involved Clarssaso much, she didn’ realy get 10 think about howa mage lives. Some kindof ‘day inthe ie’ eype aadvencares could be fun, Like you said, we're geting prety tough; reminding us ofthe power of everyday folks could be a sce Peter getting back 1 his devective business,” said Keith, “He never veally go it off the grown. Bu: magickaly peaking, he's a Master of Mird now. I thnk he's got some new responsibilies — he ough to start teaching. Wayne, you said Father Shelly had located some Orphans in need of or. I think tha's a good wey for Peter to explore hs nese level of surdercarding.” Pracha had been leafng through her new copy of Were: ‘wolft The Apocalypse. ‘Well, I wouldn't mind seeing some crostouer stories. We've goten hints there are werewalus ard other things in Atlanta, Why not go exploring? Maybe some of us could play our mages and the rest could play vanpites or faeries or whatever. Ormaybel couldrun another game ard yeu could, g03p, play for « change? Can't you see Father Stelley going om a vampire hunt?” Chapter One: Anatomy ofa ChronicleIZZY i Wayne laughed. “Vampire massnere would be more like it.” He tured to Stewart. “You've heen quiet, Seewart. What do sou thine abou all his?" “Actually, I've gota proposition for you. I'd lke wo send Stanleyona spirit quest of sorts, This is something you coullren or blue book when you have time. Meanuhils, I've gota great lea fora new character, He's sot ofan Ecstatic, an adrenaline junkie who likes to climb things, and he's got sis ruil familiar who's always making smart-assed remarks. Think we cam work something out? “You mean you're gonna quit playing Stanley?” asked "Who's Clarissa going to turn to with her problems?” “No, llplay Stanley again,” replied Stewart. "But I feel at this point in his development, he needs to go off em his own Besides. ic wllgive me a chance to explore anew angle and play «-very different character.” “Lllchinksome more onit, butt sounds fne for now,” said Wayne, “Well, asusual, you'veall given me something t brood about. Now las haud out our calendars and ery to finda time when we can all play.” The World Turns The pesky details of grting characters together are long sone; no more crude barfightsfor you! Linear piotsseem like child's play, and you can even manage a capture-plot ‘without players pelting you with potato chips Stunning claloguecomesasnaturally as breathing, andtheplayers freely contribute theirideasandcriticisms Firaly, you're ready for complications — crossover material fom other Scoryteller games, multiple plots and e lle karmic